Starting A Blogging Business That Matters
Naz Daud
Blogging businesses havent been around too long. However, already there have been a few exits. One of the first internet companies on the blogging scene Weblogs Inc sold to AOL for around $30M. And, there have also been several other exits in and around the same price level. Some blogs and blog networks that have yet to have a liquidity event, or even raise cash to help pin-point a valuation, will likely be worth more than this number.
What entrepreneurs shouldnt forget is that blogging is just a style of writing, and that a blog is just a type of website. Therefore, you should look at any company that monetizes editorial through advertising as a similar business. However, a blogging business has many advantages over a traditional media business or even a traditional internet media business:
" Its much simpler to start a blog than it is to start most types of websites. You can use software like WordPress to get started with minimum technical knowledge. However, if you are starting a serious business you will most likely want to use the services of a development and design team to make sure everything looks great and works perfectly.
" Its easier to drive traffic to a blog than to a traditional website. Bloggers are more inclined to link to their competitors, and therefore if you write good content you should be able to get coverage much quicker than other internet media businesses. Also, when you get more links from other bloggers you will also get more search engine traffic too.
Tips For Creating A Blogging Business That Matters
Dont make your blog too reliant on you. Too many bloggers allow themselves to become the only recognisable face of their blog as they rise to internet stardom. This is great at first; however it causes more of a problem when you want to focus on growing your business and less on being the face of your blog. This is also something that will put off any potential buyer. Try to get writers on board that are able to earn an equally great reputation with your audience.
Spend money on building a cool internet brand. Too many blogs are built on sub-par domain names, and have horrible looking designs. This is okay for your personal blog, but its not okay for your business blog. Be prepared to spend some money on getting your blog design right, and making sure the back-end works fine too. If you dont, you can be sure this is a decision you will regret further down the line.
Build contacts and get exclusives. Nothing builds a blogs reputation like getting an exclusive on a story. And there are no ways to get exclusives other than having sources. If you start breaking stories, you will start to develop a formidable internet brand within your industry. Go to conferences, network, and use internet sources like LinkedIn to get put in touch with the players in the industry you write about. As you build a bigger and better reputation this becomes easier.
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